Perceptions of forest certification among key audiences in a mediterranean landscape dominated by forestry plantations

Forest certification (FC) was created to promote responsible forestry by requiring compliance with defined environmental, social, and economic standards. Across Europe, interest in FC has grown in response to climate change mitigation and increasing societal demand for sustainable production. In Portugal, however, uptake remains low. Although small landowners hold most forested land, most certified areas are managed by two major pulp and paper companies, highlighting long-standing challenges in Portuguese forest management. Promoting sustainable forestry requires understanding how stakeholders who depend on and use forest products perceive forests and FC. To explore this, we conducted an anonymous semi-structured survey of forest managers, technicians, workers, landowners, and residents/users of plantations in Central Portugal. Respondents widely recognised forests as key providers of ecosystem services and consistently distinguished between native forests and eucalypt plantations, rating native forests more positively overall; however, perceptions varied across groups, particularly between forestry professionals and the general public. Knowledge of FC also differed, with forestry-related respondents showing greater familiarity and more positive assessments of its benefits, while others reported limited awareness. Nonetheless, most participants considered FC a valuable management tool, noting that uncertified plantations often lack active management. Among landowners, economic gain was the primary motivation for pursuing certification, while non-certified landowners cited small property size and lack of awareness as barriers. Our findings highlight the need for locally-adapted strategies that address the economic, administrative, and social concerns identified by stakeholders, and strengthen cooperative management structures (e.g., forest owners’ associations) to support broader adoption of FC across Portugal.